Shennong's first hunt

As the sun dipped below the sky with darkness approaching, casting a orange glow over the dense forest, Rilith and Velara crouched in the underbrush, their sharp eyes fixed on the road ahead of them. The sound of footsteps echoed through the trees, growing louder with each passing moment.

"They're here," Velara whispered.

Rilith nodded. "Finally. What took them so long?"

From their hiding spot, they watched as four men emerged from the shadows of the trees, their armor gleaming faintly in the dim light. They were talking amongst themselves, voices laced with exhaustion and frustration.

But having a closer look, It wasn't hard for Shennong to tell these were not ordinary hunters or adventures. It's not like he know real hunters or adventures but he had a gut feeling these were more than that.

"Damn, that guy was a beast," one of them muttered. "We lost six men just trying to capture her. As expected of the young prodigy knight… but too bad he's dead now."

The other three men burst into laughter at his joke, but another beside him grunted. "Yeah, and how the hell are we supposed to report that to the duke? 'Oh, we lost six good men to a single guy?' Sounds ridiculous."

"Just say a monster attacked us and we lost them in action," another suggested with a chuckle. "That way, we might even get a bigger reward. You know the duke and his obsession with killing monsters."

They all laughed at the idea, their voices filled with amusement. But Shennong, hidden nearby, wasn't laughing. His sharp eyes focused on the girl they were dragging behind them—a bloody figure bound with thick ropes, her body covered in bruises. Her short white hair clung to her blood-stained face, and her tattered clothes barely concealed the wounds underneath, as well as her private parts.

It almost looked as if they were dragging a slave, but why would they need four men to handle a simple slave? Shennong was confused, and so were Rilith and Velara.

"They are close…" Shennong muttered under his breath.

His grip tightened on his crossbow, but he held back. No need to waste bolts when the traps were already in place and he wasn't so sure that his wooden bolts would be able to penetrate the armors of these humans.

Just as expected, the moment the men took a few more steps forward, the ground beneath them gave way.

"Aghhh!"

Cries of pain filled the air as two of them fell into a pitfall lined with sharpened stakes, their legs breaking on impact. The remaining two were instantly ensnared by the sticky webs that Rilith and Velara had carefully laid out beforehand.

"W-What the hell is this?!" one of them screamed, struggling against the unbreakable threads glued like a prey waiting to be devoured by a spider.

Shennong smirked. "Perfect."

He stepped out of hiding, followed closely by Rilith and Velara. Unlike him, the two succubi remained cautious, their glowing eyes locked onto the struggling men.

"We need to make sure they can't fight back," Rilith murmured.

Velara grinned. "Rilith, let's do it."

As she muttered those words, a faint pink mist began to seep from their bodies, drifting toward the immobilized men. The moment they inhaled the sweet-scented fumes, their eyes glazed over, their bodies going limp.

Shennong stepped back, holding his breath. He knew better than to get caught in the effect of Succubus Fume. That would be a death sentence mainly because he wasn't sure what it would do to him. He heard stories from Rilith and Velara about the Fume and how it affected humans, which made him wonder how he was able to stay with Yenissa all these years.

Now that the men had been captured, there were no threats to Shennong or the girls, so they stepped out.

Once the mist had cleared, he approached the girl, giving her a quick glance. She was still unconscious, her body too weak to react. His gaze then shifted toward the dazed men, who were now little more than drooling husks.

"Damn, that worked fast." He clicked his tongue and turned to Rilith and Velara. "So, what are you two gonna do with them? Eat them here or drag them somewhere else?"

Velara licked her lips. "Here, of course. Fresh meat is the best."

Rilith giggled. "Agreed."

Shennong shrugged. "Alright, enjoy yourselves. I'll head back to Yenissa after collecting their armor, clothes and everything else." But before leaving he had to leave one comment. "Rilith...Velara, be careful!"

Both of them laughed seeing how much he cared for them and felt somewhat disappointed that they are not able to eat him, instead they were left with these unappetizing men but at least it was enough for their hunger.

Just as Shennong turned to leave, a sudden chill ran down his spine. His instincts screamed at him—danger! It wasn't just his instincts because he felt something hot behind him.

He barely managed to leap aside before an explosion erupted where he had been standing. A crater of flames swallowed the ground, consuming one of the dazed men who had been caught in the mist. His body was instantly incinerated, reduced to nothing but ashes.

Shennong's eyes widened. "What the—?!"

He looked back hoping to see what was happening. He was confused and felt scared. 

And he saw a towering figure emerged from the flames—a woman wreathed in fire from head to toe, her eyes burning like molten lava and her hair shining with bright orange hue of flame. Her very presence radiated raw, destructive power, sending waves of heat crashing against the surroundings.

Rilith and Velara stiffened, their expressions shifting from amusement to fear.

"We… we need to run," Velara whispered.

Rilith nodded slowly. "She's dangerous."

Shennong clenched his fists, his mind racing. Who was this woman? Where had she come from? And more importantly… was she an enemy?

For that last question he knew the answer was obvious. This was an enemy but not the type he wanted to fight with. Shennong wasn't stupid enough to not understand the difference between him and his opponent and just by having a single look he knew this fire woman was way out of his league.

The flames crackled around her as she took a step forward, her gaze locked onto them.

"Who…" Shennong muttered, gripping his crossbow tightly and ready to runaway. "Who the hell are you?"

The fiery woman said nothing. She only raised her hand—and another flame manifested on her hand which screamed death for Shennong, Rilith and Velara.

A horrifying screech pierced the night, sending shivers down Shennong's spine. The blazing woman arched her back, her fiery form writhing in what seemed like unbearable pain. Flames crackled around her, licking at the air as if they had a will of their own.

Shennong took a cautious step back, his mind racing. This… this was not normal. Whoever—or whatever—this woman was, she was suffering. But there was no time for sympathy. She wasn't just standing there; she was preparing another attack.

Her body convulsed, and a swirling mass of fire gathered in her palm, growing larger by the second. The flames roared, illuminating the terrified expressions on Rilith and Velara's faces. Shennong gritted his teeth. This had taken an unexpected turn.

His first instinct was to fight, but against something like this? He quickly ran through his inventory in his head.

"Silk spider webs… soil… wood… several flowers and leaves I collected…"

None of these were going to help him against a living inferno.

There was only one thing left to do—run.

The fireball came hurtling toward him, fast and merciless. Shennong dove into a roll, barely dodging the attack. Heat scorched the air around him, and for a moment, he thought he had escaped unscathed. Then, a searing pain flared in his left arm. He hissed, glancing down to see his sleeve burnt away, his skin red and raw from the heat.

"Shit…" he muttered through gritted teeth.

He wasn't the only one in danger. Rilith and Velara, though clearly wanting to flee, refused to abandon him. Instead, they rushed toward the fire woman, their succubus instincts kicking in. They moved with supernatural speed, Velara aiming for her legs while Rilith tried to claw at her back.

The moment they made contact, agonized screams filled the air.

Both of them recoiled, their hands and arms now covered in burns. Velara dropped to one knee, clutching her arm, while Rilith stumbled backward, her usually alluring face twisted in pain.

"She's too hot to touch…!" Velara gasped, her voice trembling.

Shennong clenched his fists. 

Without thinking, he grabbed a fallen sword from one of the immobilized men and charged. The blade was already stained with dried blood, but he didn't care. He just needed to pierce her before she could unleash another attack.

His aim was true. The sword nearly reached her abdomen—

—but then, it melted.

Shennong barely had time to process the horror of the moment before the fire woman lashed out, gripping his tunic. Instantly, the fabric caught fire, and the heat became unbearable. He winced, trying to pry himself free, but her grip was like an iron vice. The flames licked at his skin, burning through his clothes, threatening to consume him whole.

Then, suddenly—

A powerful force slammed into the fire woman, sending her flying across the clearing. She crashed into a tree with a deafening impact, flames scattering from the force of the blow.

Shennong hit the ground hard, coughing as he tried to catch his breath. His vision blurred for a moment, but he forced himself to look up.

Yenissa stood there, her presence radiating an aura of pure menace. Her face was twisted into something monstrous—her usual calm, sultry expression replaced with a look of absolute fury. Her golden eyes glowed, her entire being radiating a darkness that rivaled the flames that had just been raging seconds before.

For a brief moment, everything was silent.

Then, Yenissa stepped forward.

"Didn't I tell you to come home before it gets dark! I hope you have good excuse, Shennong!" She muttered while cautiously looking at the fire woman who was now embedded to a tree which quickly started to blaze in flame.